He told chelseafc.com: "Joe Cole was a different type of player in that Joe was a bit more direct in his running, whereas Mata is more jinky, and a bit like David Silva is at Man city, he comes inside. Juan is a bit more like Franco Zola, if I can compare with him with anyone I have played with.

"He is very easy to play with because he has great technique but also awareness so you know when you make your runs he will pass it to you. Receiving the ball he always gets it under control particularly quickly so you can make your runs with confidence. He is like all the Spanish players of the current era - they are technical and intelligent."